A&E
Hamilton a cappella groups perform in Chapel
By Kyandreia Jones ’19
October 8, 2015
Last Saturday, Oct. 3, all five of Hamilton’s a cappella groups performed their annual Fallcoming concert in the Chapel.
The first to perform was Hamilton’s oldest female a cappella group Special K. The group began with The Andrews Sisters’ “Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree.” Alumni such as Annie Lindahl ’15 and Sarah Kerr ’14 accompanied the group on stage to sing the song of tradition. The personalization (Skipping down “lover’s lane” and later using their arms to spell L-O-V-E) added to the rendition, and heped keep the audience engaged.
Audrey Darnis ’18 sang Sia’s “Elastic Heart.” Although Darnis was stiff and awkward standing center stage, her strong voice made up for it.
The group’s most notable performance was their medley of Robyn’s “Dancing on my Own” and Whitney Houston’s “Dance with Somebody” performed by soloists Nicole Mion ’16 and Jen Lengvarsky ’16. The two songs made for a smart pairing, and Mion and Lengvarsky gave them the respect they deserved. As the ensemble sung along, the already moving performance became more powerful and enjoyable.
After Special K came co-ed a cappella group Duelly Noted. Leading with The Chiffons’s “One Fine Day,” the group gave a performance more oriented toward the talents of the ensemble that that of a soloist.
President Michael Dyer ’16 called alumni to the stage to perform “The Way You Look Tonight.” The simplicity of the act captured the essence of the lyrics, and the group’s harmonies captured the timelessness of Frank Sinatra’s classic.
Their rendition of Shawn Mendez’s “Stitches” showed off the group’s rhythm and range. Duelly incorporated many theatrics into their set, which provided an interesting contrast to the rather humble group that preceded them. Their wacky facial expressions (especially that of alto Joanie Frost ’16 and mezzo-soprano Sarah Hoover ’18) and choreographed moves delighted the audience and made for a fun experience.
Following Duelly Noted was the all-female group Tumbling After.
The group began with “What Them Girls Like” by Ludacris featuring Chris Brown. Unfortunately, the rapping of the song was lost in the onstage performers as well as the crowd’s clapping and cheering. Thankfully, this didn’t last long as Geleece Brady ’16 began to sing Sean Kingston’s “Replay,” complemented by Gym Class Heroes’ “Heart of Stereos” sung by Isabel O’Malley ’18.
O’Malley and Brady’s bright smiles added to the enjoyment the performers provided the audience. It was fun to watch because the women themselves were in high spirits and respected their place before the crowd.
Juniors Catherine McLeod and Hilary Giles led the group in Birdy’s “Wings,” before they sang Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s “Helplessly Hoping” for a strong finish.
Up next were The Hamiltones. Demonstrating their light hearted and quirky nature, the Hamiltones began with The Eagles’ “Seven Bridges Road.” Senior Katie Conroy’s take on Fleet Foxes’ “Mykonos” got many laughs. Making hilarious gestures and faces, Conroy proved that with a beautiful voice and a whole lot of personality, one can gain a positive reception from the audience. Following the same trend, Sarah Hooper ’16 sang N’Sync’s “Bye, Bye, Bye” and The Backstreet Boys’ “Larger than life.” Hooper added her own moves and perpetuated the quirky, fun vibes.
The group’s most memorable performance was the Local Natives’ “Who Knows Who Cares” performed by Nick Lucchesi ’16 and Alumnus Sean Henry-Smith ’15.
Lucchesi and Smith’s onstage chemistry and apparent love for the craft transcended the performance. The joy on their faces and the ease with which they sung was a sight to behold. Not only did the men have amazing voices, but it was also evident they were having the time of their lives. It was this understanding that propelled the performance and the audience’s enjoyment. As the rest of the members joined them in song, a wave of togetherness and harmony washed over the crowd.
Last to perform were the Buffers. Before beginning their set, the Buffers called upon an original Buffer, Bob Abrams ’53 to applaud him for helping create the all male a cappella group during his time on the Hill.
Musical Director Michael Burchesky ’17, overjoyed by Abram’s appearance said,“it was a very special night for all of us, I think the word that was used most was ‘legendary!’ Although he graduated over 60 years ago, [Abrams] humbly came up on stage with us and sang our fight song as if he had never left. Once a Buffer always a Buffer.” When Abrams was called, a sole cane rose above the crowd and the audience erupted into cheers and applause.
After first saying he was a little “under the weather,” Abrams surprised the crowd by joining the Buffers and the other Alumni in their Hamilton classic (“Al Ham” as The Buffers call it).
Following the fan favorite, Max Flath ’17 and Carter Sanders ’18 did The Backstreet’s “No Diggity,” taking the audience to a jam session. By the second time the chorus came around, heads were nodding, shoes were tapping and everyone was mumbling along to the song.
Switching gears from their usual humor and bravado, The Buffers sang Pentatonix’s “Run to You.” Their effortless transition from theatrics to raw talent revealed that they are a little more than a bunch of men having a grand ole’ time.
President Matt Golding ’17 led the group into Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” the last song of the evening. By this point, the audience, devoted to the group and eager to join in on the fun, sang and clapped as the men brought the concert to a close.
Hamilton’s a cappella groups were as unique as they were talented. Each act gave the audience a brand new and jaw-dropping experience. The alumni featured in each performance proved that the love and joy that goes into every song last a lifetime. Indeed, feelings of merriment, togetherness and harmony are not diminished by the passage of time.